Wednesday, 30 December 2015

Thoughts Upon Star Wars - The Force Awakens

My dearest friends,

I think that it's about time now, almost 2 weeks after the official release of the Episode 7 of Star Wars, that we let the spoilers loose and say out loud what we thought of it. People had enough time to watch it (and rewatch it) and form an opinion. They already know if they love it, like it or if they succumbed to the Dark Side and they hate it.

I did not go for the opening night, even thigh I really wanted to. Instead I went with dear friends on the afternoon of 19th December. To my defense, we had bought the tickets almost 2 months before the show, as soon as the information came out. It was a must and I remember how the platforms were down for several days - everyone wanted a piece of Star Wars history. To get ready of course we rewatched the Star Wars original trilogy + the Prequels + The Clone Wars cartoons ;) just to make sure we cover everything! We went to Star Wars Episode 7 ready to enjoy it - we even had Star Wars T-Shirts ;) I had one with the poster of "A New Hope" and Marek had one with 9 characters of the series ;) I knew only a few things from the trailers and I knew that they have chosen not to follow the expanded universe created by the books.... so everything was brand new!

The moment the trailer got out - the very first one, the long trailer - and I heard Harrison Ford saying the line "Chewy, we're home", that is the moment I started crying... 30 years later and I realised I loved this characters still so much as I did the very first day I saw them. I rooted for them when I was a wee lass and I will root for them as long as I will live and it is clear for me now that our children will love them as well. They will grow up with it as we did :) But taking that aside... I think it's about time to speak of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The main idea that everyone shouts out loud and it's the very first thing we all said once we got out of the cinema: it's the "A New Hope" Star Wars 1977 movie, just with different small twitches and new characters.

About Rey - I love the fact that we finally have a female Jedi as the leading role. We had Luke in the original trilogy and we had Anakin in the Prequels as the leading role, but now we have a girl kicking everyone's arses - one by one - and the feminist in me loves this idea. We did not have enough female character in the old series - true we did have kick arse Leia Organa being amazing with her strategy skills & we had Padme Amidala as a Queen and then Senator of Naboo, working her way through treaties and politics. As I truly believe she is part of the Skywalker - Solo family, though the Episode 7 does not say much about her roots, I think Rey will turn out to be an amazing character. She is already rated the best character of the Star Wars Episode 7 ;) even kicking BB8's shiny metal arse. Now I love Rey as she is a tough lady that knows how to live on her own, she knows how to fight her own battles and from what I saw I think she will be one kick arse Jedi - she only learns about the Force and she has visions of the past and can hear Obi Wan's voice + the moment she gets a hold on the lightsaber it is as if she was born for it, born to wield it. She is smart and strong like Leia, she feels the Force like Luke, yet she has amazing flying skills and she can figure out the Millennium Falcon... so she can either be Luke's daughter or Han and Leia's - Episode 8, I hope you come with an answer on this one!

About BB8 - this new droid got me thinking so much about R2-D2... it's as if they were family or something... so deep rooted with artificial intelligence that they could almost be human. I love some scenes that BB8 has with Finn (especially the thumbs up one, when all the cinema burst out laughing). In the old trilogy and the Prequels, the comic relief was done by R2-D2 and C3PO; in this one its mainly Finn and BB8 but they do a marvelous job :) they got me laughing each time. That does not mean that I do not miss my dear R2-D2... Somehow I wished for more space in the movie for him... BB8 steals his thunder as like in "A New Hope" when R2-D2 had the plans of the Death Star hidden inside him, now BB8 has the map of where Luke is located inside him. Coincidence? I think not! The whole movie follows closely Episode 4, and that is why probably it got such a wide acceptance + high IMDB score (currently 8.6 out of 10 stars!).

About Poe Dameron - I must admit he is my favorite new male character that the team brought to the new series. He reminds me both of Han Solo but also of Luke - we is warm and gentle, he loves BB8 and treats him as a good friend (like Luke with R2-D2), he has amazing flying skills (again like Luke but also like Han with the Millennium Falcon - he managed to do things which should not even be possible with a X-wing!). I would love to know more about his background and where he came from, how he developed into the man we see today; but I hope at least in Episode 8 we get a glimpse of that. I also love his chemistry with Finn, their relationship and the faith they develop in eachother. I love Poe is fearless and has no issue whatsoever attacking Kylo Ren with a blaster - even though I believe Poe has at least a vague idea of how strong the Force can be...

About Finn - I know everyone complains about Finn for different reasons. The main one being that we have a black character stealing the spotlight. All I want to say about this is: would you cut that out and relax?! Each of the trilogies has a dark skinned character that was quite a bad ass and brought light in the group: Mace Windu for the Prequels - the only Jedi with purple sword! & Lando Calrissian for the original Lucas trilogy - a smuggler domesticated, friend of Han Solo, leader of "The City in The Clouds". Now take a moment to think about that! I know it's quite a shock having someone from the Dark Side - Stormtroopers - crossing over to the Rebellion but I want to see how this develops. Also his relationship with Rey and Poe :) looking forward to that!

About Kylo Ren (Ben Skywalker-Solo) - now this is a painful subject. Everyone throws hate and bad vibes on this poor boy... the idea that Leia's and Han's boy was trained by Luke and then he became rogue and killed everyone else and went to the Dark Side - this is Anakin Skywalker turning Darth Vader all over again. The small but significant difference that a lot of people seem to forget is the fact that his training is not yet complete and that Kylo Ren (even though he has a different name now) is NOT a Sith Lord yet! When I look at him all I can see is a troubled child... a troubled child that manages to kill my childhood by killing one of the most beautiful characters of Lucas original trilogy. Kylo Ren kills his father, Han Solo, taking one step forward to the Dark Side. I wonder if they will try and use Rey (as they did Luke) and get Kylo to turn to the Light Side of the Force... let's face it... killing your father is quite a stepping point. Luke did NOT kill Darth Vader and he stayed with the Light Side; Kylo killed Han, so theoretically there should be no way back... Another thing that people have complained about his childlike behavior is the tantrums and fits he has. I remember being younger and having tantrums as well when something would not work the way I wanted. I would punch and hit so the energies would be released. Kylo Ren is in a tough moment - he wants to break away from the family yet he still feels the calling of the Force... he is not stable and as far as I can see he doesn't get much guidance. He needs someone to be with him. That is also why he loses the fight with Rey. He is not trained enough and it may be that this is his first Jedi fight with lightsabers - force choke and defending from blasters is one thing, going one on one with lightsabers is another. Oh! Don't forget he is also hurt and bleeding and Rey is quite damn strong with the Force. Cut him some slack! I look forward to Episode 8 :)

The old team - Chewie: we don't see as much as him as we wish but I loved seeing him again with Han Solo. The saddest scene was watching him take off with the Millennium Falcon but without Han by his side... C3PO: why on earth does he have a red hand?! We have no explanation and I feel I need one! R2-D2: in a "coma" until BB8 brings the other half of the map that would lead them to Luke. Why is he not with Luke? Somehow I wanted more of my favourite droid :( Leia: she aged, her voice changed, but it's still somehow nice to see her, especially when Han is next to her. Is it really bad that I wanted them to kiss? Or that I wanted to see Leia and Luke and Han together for one more time? :( Luke: showing up only at the end of the movie, for a couple of second but stealing the thunder from everyone and making you think if he's going to train Rey :) I guess he is the new Yoda now... Han Solo: Han-Freacking-Solo-The-Hero-Of-My-Childhood dies!!! I knew it was coming, the moment he stepped on that bridge it was "A New Hope" again but I knew that Kylo Ren would not choose the best side of the Force... prepare tissues and prepare yourself for Han's son to be the new Darth, with the help of Supreme Leader Snoke... whom we know nothing of. Due to his hologram size I predict he is as small as a Yoda and that he may have some inferiority complex. I would like to know whom he is, how does he know of the Force, how he got in touch with Kylo Ren... there are too many questions unanswered :/ Episode 8, come quick!

Another small thing I need to raise my voice about is the fact that the Dark Side looks more and more like Hitler's army and the red-white-black colors in the scenes with the Stormtroopers and when they assemble... the scene where General Hux addresses the troops gathered up, that scene reminds me of Adolf Hitler speaking to the masses... let me know if you have the same feeling or if I am going mental here and making a fuss. General Hux could be the next Hitler ;) mark my words, he may not have the Force flowing through him, but that sir knows his stuff!

Winning AFI Awards Movie of the Year 2016 and breaking one record after another, Star Wars Episode 7 - The Force Awakens - was a welcomed gift for Christmas for fans of all ages :) it is true that it could have been better, it is true that it is a copy of "A New Hope" with new characters and not necessarily the very best lines, but it reminded me of my childhood and it made me say I wish to see it again in the cinema. We saw it first as 3D and the battle scenes in space are glorious but... 2D is the next step. How about you? Have you seen it? Are you planning on re - watching it? What are your thoughts and feelings? I would love to hear it from you - did you feel the same as I did? :)